New teachers introduced to school district

Most of the Baldwin School District's teachers started their school year Monday. But there were seven teachers that came back even earlier.

Thursday and Friday were used to help the seven teachers prepare for their first year teaching in the district.

Carolyn Groves, district staff development director, said the extra two days acted as an orientation for the new teachers.

"For the new teachers, we try to do the same things we do for students," Groves said. "We try to give them as much information as possible. This is so they can have a comfortable and positive start and know we really do welcome them here."

Besides covering general information, the two-day orientation included a district tour. She said it was important the teachers got a chance to visit all of the schools and meet the administrators.

"If we're supposed to be a unified district, we need to know each other," she said.

Of the seven teachers, Groves said three will be familiar faces to the district.

Sue Demarest, who will teach kindergarten at Baldwin Elementary School, has been a substitute teacher and taught at Rainbow Preschool. Patty Flory Evans, who will teach seventh grade language arts at Baldwin Junior High, has also been a substitute teacher. Brian Ash, who will have eighth grade social studies classes at BJHS, is the Baldwin High School baseball coach.

The district's four new faces are BES kindergarten, fourth and fifth-grade inter-related teacher Sue Gee, Marion Springs Elementary School first-grade teacher Tamra Doole, MSES second-grade teacher Mindi Bott and Chris Aspergren, who will divide her time as a BJHS reading teacher and BHS English teacher.

Groves said the orientation helped the teachers become more prepared, and maybe even a little more anxious, to start the school year.

"They're so excited and can't wait to get started," she said. "All seven of them are excited and positive."